The next phase of the elections process is for opponents to file objections to these petitions; these must be filed no later than Monday, December 11. If no objection is filed to a candidate’s nomination papers, the papers are presumed to be valid.

I checked each candidate’s reported campaign funds this morning and learned the following:

Ira Silverstein (Silverstein for Senator) has $89,169.57 on hand. He received $9,200 of that in November, including $1,200 from the Realtor PAC; $1,000 from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association; and $7,000 from the Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC. His October contributions were from lobbying groups (SEIU, AFSCME, and PhRma) and brought in another $5,000.

Ram Villivalam (Friends of Ram) has raised $40,535, all of it between November 7-11, 2017, including $5,600 from himself. Another $5,600 came from his wife, Elizabeth Granato, identified on her November 7 contribution as the Manager of Business Development for the Public Building Commission of Chicago.

Interestingly, there are numerous small donations reported to other political groups, mainly the Indo-American Democratic Organization, from an individual named Ramachandra Villivalam who lives (or lived) in Naperville. This is the name under which Ram Villivalam was employed when he worked for Brad Schneider. Ramachandra’s Naperville address puts him in the 21st Senatorial District.

Nothing wrong with moving to a district where your political chances are better. Maybe he moved after his recent wedding. However, the Indo-American group reported an expenditure of $466.52 for Ramachandran Villivalam for a “mailing” on September 28, 2017. Since Villivalam is their current president, I would think they know where he lives. This donation-in-kind does not appear on his disclosure to the State Board.

The last thing we need is a repeat of the battles of the 2015 aldermanic election, when one candidate claimed to live in the ward but didn’t.

Caroline McAteer-Fournier (Caroline for Illinois) has not reported any contributions or expenses.

Zehra Quadri (Zehra for Illinois) has not reported any contributions or expenses.

David A. Zulkey (People for Zulkey) has not reported any contributions or expenses.

The lack of funding for the latter three candidates indicates how hard it is for female and independent (i.e., not politically-connected) candidates to acquire the obscene amounts of money now required to be considered credible candidates. Huge campaign war chests are often misinterpreted as proof that a candidate has the backing of the people, when the truth may be simply that the contributions of a few wealthy individuals and groups have bought the race.

We finally have the opportunity for participatory democracy in this State Senate race.
Let’s take it.

Yes, Ira’s going to run again for Illinois State Senate for the 8th District. According to The Ward Room, he and Ram Villivalam have filed petitions for the office. Meanwhile, Capitol Fax. another online news site based in Springfield, reports that Caroline McAteer-Fournier, David Zulkey, and Zehra Quadri are also expected to file nominating petitions. Alison Leipsiger, a social worker from Skokie who was mentioned as a potential candidate, has withdrawn.

According to the Illinois Election Data Web site, only Silverstein and Villivalam have actually filed petitions.

Villivalam is a former political director for Rep. Brad Schneider. He is currently president of the Indo-American Democratic Organization. When he announced his candidacy, he noted that the district is heavily Asian-American, and has been lining up local Asian-American politicians for endorsements. He’s the self-identified ethnic candidate. Though he bills himself as a progressive, I don’t see how an ethnicity-based appeal for votes can result in progressive policies. His organization states on its Web site that it wants a seat at the table because its constituency represents two percent of the state’s population, which suggests that the interests of a small group within this diverse district may be his lodestar.

McAteer-Fournier is an advocate for children with epilepsy and former president of the Danny Did Foundation.She describes herself as “…a mom, a higher-education professional, a health care advocate, and a neighbor…” but not a politician. She’s running because of the allegations against Ira, and promises that she’s ready to fight for regular folks. She’s never run for office before, which could be a good thing. However, I don’t know that I’d want another “fighter” in Springfield. I’d prefer to vote for someone who’s willing to reason and negotiate for the common good, not engage in more partisan bickering which will ensure that the current do-nothing gridlock continues.

Zulkey is an attorney and member of the Board of Directors of the Sauganash Community Association. I could not locate a Web site for his campaign, nor any public statements about this reasons for running.

Quadri was a candidate for 50th Ward alderman in 2015, finishing third in a race that included two write-in candidates. Only thirty votes separated her from the second-place finisher in a contest won by Silverstein’s wife, Debra, who was re-elected to her second terms. Quadri runs the social services agency Zam’s Hope. She had a close working relationship with the late alderman Bernie Stone but the Silversteins terminated her agency’s contracts with the City and the State of Illinois as soon as Ira became committeeman and Debra alderman.

It’s a given that multiple candidates make the incumbent more likely to remain in office. There hasn’t been much public outcry over the claims of sexual harassment made against Ira, and neither he nor his wife have made any public statements about the charges that cost him his leadership position. I think that’s a mistake. I think they owe their constituents an acknowledgment of his troubles, at the very least, but both are too aloof from the citizens they represent to deign to say anything.

If the ethnic vote goes to Villivalam and/or Quadri, and the women’s vote to McAteer-Fournier and/or Quadri, Ira could well be re-nominated. Or forced into a run-off. Maybe there are other candidates trying to get their petitions signed by next Monday.

The lesson of Watergate is that “it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up.” The sexual harassment scandal involving Ira Silverstein cannot be covered up–the lady provided proof of her allegations. Unfortunately, the Silversteins have chosen to ignore the charges, which will make the expected outcome–his resignations as senator and Democratic committeeman–seem even worse. And it may well haunt her own re-election campaign.

The alderman began her Friday newsletter by reporting that her thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted by last week’s terror attack in New York. Nowhere did she mention the same week’s accusations against her husband. Ira hasn’t issued any statements to his constituents either, even after the proofs of his behavior cost him his post as majority whip. What is he waiting for?

A public official accused of sexual harassment must respond with more than a bland statement that he is sorry if anything he did made a woman “uncomfortable” and that he awaits the Ethics Committee report on the propriety of his behavior. It’s simply astounding that he doesn’t understand the nature of his offenses. Once the proofs were provided (audio of phone calls, hundreds of Facebook posts), I think he became obliged to issue a statement to his constituents admitting that the accusations can be substantiated, that he is considering his options, and that he plans to remain in office pending the Ethics Committee decision. Both of his political jobs (senator, Democratic committeeman) are on the line, and it’s difficult to see how he can continue to serve in either position regardless of what the Ethics Committee does. But he needs to communicate with the voters before that happens.

The alderman’s lack of rapport with the people she serves is well-known. She is difficult to approach, and visibly uncomfortable with constituent contact. I think she is simply unable to relate to her constituents well enough to acknowledge that allegations were made against her husband, that she supports him whether the charges are sustained or not, and that she, her husband, and their family would appreciate our prayers at this difficult time. That’s the standard PR line all politicians facing self-created scandals use. A few words could mean a lot. She has her own political future to consider.

The people of the 50th Ward and the residents of the 8th Senatorial District have a right to know Ira’s side of the story, including an explanation of the audio recordings and Facebook posts. We also have a right to know what will happen if Ira resigns as state senator and Democratic ward committeeman. The 50th Ward is not known for political activism or participation, and must guard against new candidates with the same old ideas. But we should have some information on what to expect and when, and that needs to be communicated now.

I wonder how much of a role the hubris arising from the Silversteins’ absolute political control of the 50th Ward played in all this: alderman, committeeman, state senator, de facto bosses of the Regular Democratic Organization. Every bit of power is theirs, and the stories of the way that power has been used are told in whispers. They destroy all rivals and take no prisoners. It’s easy to see how two political figures driven by power rather than service would find it unnecessary to acknowledge what happened last week. That doesn’t make it acceptable.